New treatment for snoring in Manhattan

Ninety million American adults suffer from snoring, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Debbie Bachand from Clyde, Kansas, had a big problem. She snored. Loudly!

“They talk about tornadoes resembling a freight train, and this is true. And that’s probably what I sounded like. It doesn’t just drive your partner out of the bedroom, it drives the family out of the house,” Debbie explains.

“We all need to have a normal night’s rest, with certain cycles through the sleep. If those cycles are interrupted, i.e. by snoring, it can interrupt the quality of our sleep,” explains Dr. Winter.

Custom made oral applicators or mouthpieces have been used for years to help quiet snoring. But now there’s a new, less invasive way to solve the problem.

“The Nightlase, is a laser to treat snoring. What’s unique about this laser is that it uses smooth, wave rapid pulse energy that actually warms the tissue. And in doing so, it causes the collagen in the tissue to kind of regenerate. By toning up that tissue back there and firming it up, getting it a little bit more lift, it decreases that vibration and decreases that snoring sound,” explains Dr. Winter.

The NightLase can also treat sleep apnea, if it’s caused by the soft tissue at the back of the throat. But making sure you have the right diagnosis is crucial.

Dr. Winter says, “We’ll treat the snoring, but if the patient has other key indicators that they may have other sleep disorder breathing, I may refer them back out to a physician to assess if we have any other underlying issues.”

Debbie has had a couple of treatments done with the NightLase, and it has made all the difference.

“It’s helped immensely. I probably still snore a little, but I had a big problem,” Debbie says.

Since the NightLase is a new treatment option in the U.S. most insurance policies don’t cover the procedure. Dr. Winter says the standard cost is $1,500 for 4 sessions.